From the basement, Alex retrieved a plastic bin with the handwritten label: HALLOWEEN. She had to weed through a lot of the block party supplies to get to the box she wanted.
It was a mess down there, with storage containers and plastic bags strewn about. She made a promise to herself to get rid of some of the excess. Nobody needs two full bags of tablecloths for one party. How a family of three could accumulate so many possessions, enough to max out the storage space of a sprawling home, was a source of both bemusement and frustration.
The bin she needed was filled with fake cobwebs, some spooky decorative pumpkins, a battery-operated witch with green glowing eyes, and other ghoulish holiday accoutrements. Lettie had lost interest in celebrating Halloween over the past several years, but Alex couldn’t let the tradition go. It wasn’t the only thing she was holding on to these days.
For the past three nights she had gone to bed thinking of that scantily clad picture of Brooke she’d found on Nick’s phone, and each morning, she failed to bring it up to her husband. She didn’t believe Nick could be Brooke’s stalker, but couldn’t completely dispel that notion, either. It was always the husband who engaged in some diabolical treachery in those true crime docudramas—the seemingly good guy who does the dastardliest things when he thinks no one is looking.
As Alex carried the bin up the stairs, she heard the front door close shut. Nick must be home.
It was time, she decided. She’d given it enough thought and was going to drive herself crazy if she didn’t confront him directly.
She set the box down in the foyer where most of the decorations would go. Then it was off to the kitchen, where she picked up the glass of wine she’d already poured. Down went the alcohol, fueling her resolve.
Alex sent a silent prayer out to the universe that Nick would have a damn fine explanation for that picture. Given the state of her life and this neighborhood—Emily’s fears about Ken and Mandy, Samir’s menacing vibe, Willow’s troubles with Evan, her disappearing daughter—Alex wasn’t sure she could manage much more.
Nick entered the kitchen looking a lot less chipper than when he’d left the house hours earlier.
“Tough day?” asked Alex.
“You could say that,” said Nick, running his hands through his thick hair. “What’s for dinner? I’m wiped out.” He opened the fridge.
“Takeout,” Alex replied. “I’m doing the decorations tonight.”
“Why?” asked Nick. “Aren’t we beyond that phase? I was thinking we’d leave out a bowl of candy and go out to a movie.”
“You can’t do that!” Alex said. “This is Alton Road—the top trick-or-treat neighborhood in Meadowbrook. We can’t disappoint the kids like that.”
“You just don’t want to disappoint their parents and be the talk of the town. ‘The Foxes bailed on Halloween—what’s up with them?’” Nick said in a mocking tone. “Am I right?”
Alex rolled her eyes, drinking her wine like it was lemonade.
“How does Mommy’s candy taste tonight?” he asked as Alex was refilling her glass.
She shot him an angry look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Nick was rifling through the drawer where they kept all the takeout menus. “Wine might be your main course, but I think I need a little more. Chinese? I haven’t had fried rice in ages.”
“Chinese is fine. But are you going as a judge for Halloween?”
“I don’t think I’m being judgmental. More like factual.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wine after work,” Alex said.
“A little wine is fine, but you seem to be way past a little these days.”
“I honestly don’t appreciate your insinuation, especially when I’ve done nothing wrong,” she snapped. “I’m taking care of everything around here—including Lettie’s college applications, which you really could be more involved with.”
“I’m not saying you’re incompetent,” said Nick. “And I know you do more than your fair share. I’ve just been noticing a lot of wine bottles in the recycling bin, is all.”
Shit. Alex regretted not hiding them sooner. She’d known Nick would think the worst. If Alex’s business had taught her anything, it was that emotional and physical distance created a lot of space for accusations to fly.
“Actually, you’re the one who should be defending yourself,” said Alex. “I’ve been meaning to ask what you’ve been up to on your ‘long work days.’ Any chance some of them involved our sexy neighbor Brooke Bailey?” Her look could turn a man into stone.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Nick practically shouted. “Jesus, Alex. You really are drinking too much! What could possibly give you that idea?”
Alex was somewhat prepared for this reaction. Any scenario she’d conjured in preparing for this confrontation ended with his getting defensive. But what defense could he possibly have? At least the image on his phone didn’t look like a stalker kind—something snapped through a window or captured via a hidden camera. No, that photo was as posed as it was provocative.
“What could possibly give me that idea?” Alex mused aloud. “Hmm … how about sexy photos of Brooke Bailey on your phone? You’d have to be pretty damn close and intimate with her to get a pic like that.”
In a blink, Nick’s expression, his whole demeanor, softened and relaxed. “Ah, I get it now. Didn’t even cross my mind, but if I saw one of those pictures without any explanation I’d think the worst, too.”
“And just so you know, I wasn’t snooping,” Alex said. “You gave me the password when I accidently took your phone.” She intentionally omitted the part about being hungover when she’d made that mistake. “So, are you into her? Do you two have something going on?” Her voice shook.
“No … no, not at all. We don’t even talk.”
“Well, are you stalking her?”
Nick laughed. “Good god, you honestly think I’m the creepy dude stalking Brooke?”
Naturally, Alex had shared Brooke’s startling revelation the morning after the party. A stalker in the neighborhood was simply too important to keep to herself.
Nick appeared wounded, and perhaps rightly so.
“No,” said Alex. “Not really.”
“How about no friggin’ way,” said Nick. “Really, I could use a little more conviction from you. Look, I get it—A plus B equals my loving, devoted husband is a crazed stalker, but honey, I would hope you would think more of me.”
“Well, how did that picture get on your phone?” asked Alex.
“Ken sent it to me,” Nick said.
“Ken?”
“Yeah. Evidently, he found her on this website called OnlyFans.”
Alex knew about the not-safe-for-work social media platform where people sold sexually explicit material, but she’d never visited the site.
“I guess Brooke has a pretty big fan base,” Nick continued. “From what I know it’s an excellent source of income for top talent, and as I see it, Brooke is free to do as she pleases.”
“So how did Ken get the picture?”
“He uses the site—sorry to say—and found her on it.”
“Ken uses an adult website?”
Nick’s face implied she was being ridiculously naive.
“He’s my brother-in-law,” Alex protested.
“Technically he’s mine, too,” said Nick.
“And you? Do you use that site?”
“No, sweetheart. I like my women a bit more accessible.”
“I hope not too accessible.”
“How about I like them married to me.”
“Did you ask Ken to see her photos? Were you curious?”
“No, not at all. At our last poker game, Ken announced he had airdropped some pictures to me. All he said was, ‘Prepare to be surprised.’ I was surprised, all right. Honestly, I thought I’d deleted them all.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Nick acted as if he’d done nothing wrong. “It’s her business, not mine or yours.” He raised his eyebrows.
It wasn’t an accusation, but that was the way Alex took it: she was being too nosy and over-involved in the affairs of others. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t ask people to come to her with their problems—Willow’s divorce, Emily’s relationship with Ken—they just did.
Sure, maybe she was inserting herself into Mandy’s life without prompting, but from her experience, where there was smoke, there was fire.
“And I didn’t want the pictures in the first place. I have no desire to see Brooke in the buff, and like I told you, I thought I deleted them all. I’m sorry, honey, but really, if I had stuff to hide, I wouldn’t have asked you to go looking at my phone.”
Nick’s logic was solid. Alex felt small and silly—probably looked the part, too, standing in the middle of the kitchen, arms dangling limply by her sides.
“You know that things have been distant between us for a while now,” she said, “and seeing that picture—well, I guess I couldn’t help but think the worst.”
Nick took Alex’s hand. “Only thing I care about is that you believe me, hon,” he said, locking eyes with her. “And I know we’ve been a little disconnected lately. Lettie’s suspension, her going off to college, our usual work stress—all that’s taken a toll. And I admit I was a little harsh with the way I called out your drinking, but, Alex, I think it’s becoming a problem. You really should try to cut back. It’s not good for your health, and it sends Lettie a bad message.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah, maybe it’s been a bit of a crutch,” she said. “I’ll go a little lighter.”
Nick let go of her hand so he could grip her shoulders gently. In his touch, she felt the sincerity of his love. “And remember it’s better to have an awkward conversation than to keep things bottled up for days.”
Alex glanced at him sideways. “Have you been reading my self-help books again?”
Nick smiled back before kissing the top of her head. “I get it,” he told her. “I really do. It was the perfect storm for a misunderstanding. But we’re done with this. Agreed?”
“Will you delete Brooke’s photo?” asked Alex, more of a demand than a request.
“It would be my pleasure,” said Nick. He found the suspect image and deleted it with exaggerated gusto.
Afterward, Alex fell into his arms. “I get why men want to look at her. Brooke is so beautiful and sexy and I’m so, so…” She couldn’t find the words.
Nick came to her rescue. “Perfect,” he said, pulling her in closer, holding her tighter. “You’re perfect for me.”
And she believed him. He kissed her tenderly, on the lips this time. Their mouths opened as the kiss deepened, allowing a wave of desire to pass through Alex.
Nick left to get the Chinese food. He’d be a while, so Alex headed out the door, leaving Zoe behind. She wasn’t out for a leisurely stroll. She was going to have a little chat with Brooke Bailey.